


Part Of The Pack

by archer_and_lionprince



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Short One Shot, Some angst, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27118595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archer_and_lionprince/pseuds/archer_and_lionprince
Summary: A low keening sound leaves Booker's throat. They hate him. They have to. And Nile talking to them won’t change that.
Relationships: Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Everyone, Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Nile Freeman
Comments: 12
Kudos: 107





	Part Of The Pack

**Author's Note:**

> A little one-shot for rillils <3

Booker’s heart clenches. There are tears in Nile’s eyes, tears that he caused with his rash words.

“You _are_ part of the Pack, Book. Your quarrel with the others doesn’t change that.”

 _But it does_ he wants to scream. He always tiptoed the line between being part of their Pack and being a guest, and after this clusterfuck of a situation there’s no other choice for them but to kick him out for real.

“Booker, _please_ come back upstairs,” Nile’s hand grasps the edge of his sleeve, tugging gently.

“They hate me, Nile,” he chokes out, hoping that Nile doesn’t hear the despair coating his voice. “They hate me and I can’t- I can’t stay here any longer.” 

With Nile looking wide-eyed at him and her nostrils flaring slightly, Booker realizes that he is losing his tight grasp on his emotions, filling the hallway slowly with his pheromones.

“You’re-“

“A Beta,” he interrupts. “J-just an old Beta.”

Nile stares at him, mouth open in silent shock. And Booker can see the wheels turning in her head, reevaluating what she knows about him.

Booker grimaces as another wave of pheromones stinking of distress fills the air and he tugs his arm free of Nile’s hold.

Just then the front door opens, a cold breeze and the sound of heavy rain pouring inside the hallway.

“Oh,” the young woman stepping inside startles at their presence. Booker thinks he remembers her living in the flat beneath theirs. _No, not theirs anymore_ , a voice whispers in his head.

“Booker.”

He snaps his eyes away from her, turning his gaze back to Nile who seems to glower at the newcomer. Sliding her hands around Booker’s arm, Nile pulls him closer. At first, he is confused but then he notices the other woman sniffing the air and looking at them in interest.

_Oh, fuck no._

“What?” Booker growls, pulling himself up to full height and glaring at the -by comparison- short woman. He is so not in the mood for this.

Nile tightens her grip on him, fingers digging into his arm but doesn’t say anything and just keeps glaring. Luckily, the tenant seems to get the hint and vanishes up the stairs with a huff.

“Come back upstairs,” Nile says after they can hear a door closing. “It’s pouring outside.”

“The others-“

“I’ll keep them away for a bit. But, Booker, we need to talk about this. All of us. Not just about your little stunt with this Copley but also about your idea that you’re not part of our Pack, which is absurd. You’ve been part of the Pack longer than me.”

Booker can feel his resolve to leave crumble under the young Beta’s stare.

With a heavy sigh, he waves his hand towards the stairs, signaling Nile that he’ll follow her back upstairs.

_Time to face the music._

~

The door closes behind them with a silent click. While Booker is hesitant to follow Nile’s lead and take his shoes off, he relents after a pointed stare from the younger woman.

Coming from their kitchen, a loud mix of Arabic and Greek filters into the small hallway and Booker feels his gut clench with anxiety. 

“Come,” Nile takes his hand and leads him past their shared bedroom towards the study.

The room is mainly used by Joe and Nile, but everyone of the Pack likes to retreat to it once in a while and make use of the beanbag in front of the large window. And now it’s a place where he can go and give the others space and collect himself.

“I’ll be back in a second.”

The Frenchman watches Nile hurrying into the Pack bedroom and grab one of the pillows before coming back and thrusting it at his chest.

“Here. Make yourself comfortable. I’m going to talk to the others while you can think on your apology and a way to make it up to us,” She says, giving his arm a squeeze. “You’re not getting kicked out. I promise.”

 _You can’t promise_ _that,_ Booker wants to argue but keeps his mouth shut, watching her braids swinging widely as she turns around. 

Nile closes the door on her way out and he’s alone. Anxiously, he stays where she left him, listening to the rain pattering against the window. In the corner of his eyes, he sees Joe’s newest art project resting on the easel, the paint still drying from his early morning inspiration.

Booker blinks, fingers squeezing the soft material in his hands tightly.

_Fuck._

_Fuck, Fuck, FUCK._

Sinking to his knees, Booker stares at the door.

He should have listened to his gut. He should have walked away when he saw Merrick with Copley. But money has been tight for them and Copley offered a sound deal for a portrait that has been owned by his family for generations and that he restored himself. That Copley changed the sales contract per Merrick’s wishes last second was not something he anticipated.

And he foolishly trusted his former colleague and signed without checking it again.

Now the Pack’s valued heirlooms are up for free pickings for Merrick.

A low keening sound leaves his throat. They hate him. They have to. And Nile talking to them won’t change that.

Booker presses his face into the pillow, hating how he can smell his pheromones even through it. And isn’t that another thing to add to his list of ‘How to fuck up’. Today has been the first day in month that he lost his grip on his emotions like that, and never has it happened in front of one of the others. That it happened in front of Nile is at least a small blessing. She will keep his secret safe a little longer. Because Booker’s not in a hurry to explain to Andy and the rest that he is, in fact, not a Beta. 

He doesn’t know how long he sits there like this, knees drawn up and face pressed into the cushion. It feels like hours.

At some point he moved to open the window to clear the air in the room, glad that it stopped raining. In the back of his mind he remembers of how he made Quynh and Nicky lavender tea just this morning, knowing that they don’t like gloomy days.

As lost as he is in his thoughts, Booker almost misses the door opening and someone stepping inside.

Surprised, he looks up.

“… Joe.”

“Oh, Book,” Joe sighs, his sock-clad feet making almost no noise as he moves closer. Dropping down beside the Frenchman, their shoulders brush gently, sending a jolt of confusion through Booker.

He expected anger and accusations and not warm brown eyes tinted with sorrow.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Booker looks at the ground, “They send you to tell me to pack my bag?”

“Nile said you would think that,” Joe says with a sad look in his eyes. “You’re part of our family, our Pack, Booker. You’re ours. And it hurts that you think otherwise… but we’ll just remind you that you belong in this family again and again until you believe us.”

“But- y-you can’t believe that,” Booker whispers, “I cost you all so much with my deal with Merrick-“

“Which is something you should have told us about in the first place!”

“I know. I _know_ , Joe. But it was only supposed to be my heirloom that that prick was going to get. And I’m so sorry. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. They changed the contract. It was only supposed to be my portrait but Merrick changed the deal and I didn’t know and-“

“Book, breathe,” Joe’s arm slides over his shoulder. “We know.”

“How?”

“Nile told us. After she brought you here, she contacted Copley and he admitted that he changed the sales contract.” Joe says with barely restrained anger. “Nicky and Quynh will take care of that. Merrick will get nothing from us.”

Booker’s breath hitches.

He sags against Joe, relief flooding through him upon hearing that Quynh and Nicky will ensure that they don’t lose their valuables.

_Dieu merci!_

Joe presses his head against Booker’s sandy hair, nose brushing against his ear and letting out a deep rumble coming from his chest, “It’s going to be okay, Booker. And Merrick will learn that no one screws with my Pack.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed :)
> 
> Please don't repost my fics!


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